Product Strategy for UXers Presented by Kevin Vigneault at NOVA UX onJuly 16, 2014

Hello, my name is Kevin Vigneault @hellokv

Tonight Im going to talk about Product Strategy

More specically... Digital Consumer Products

Currently a UX Designer Formerly a Project Manager 7+ years at Viget Degrees in HCI, Economics & Finance About Me

I am NOT a product strategist.

Product Managers? Executives? Marketing? Business Services? Who guides product strategy?

1. User-centered perspective 2. Research & testing skills 3. Familiarity with design & build The UX Advantage

Product strategy should be driven primarily by user experience, not business objectives or technical capabilities.

What is product strategy? What is GOOD product strategy? What should you build? How much should you charge? I will try to answer...

What is product strategy?

Design Business Strategy Product

What is a product?

An entity that when consumed provides value to an organization. An entity that when consumed provides value to an organization.

Augmented Actual

What is strategy?

A vision for your desired outcome and a plan for how to achieve it.

Planning is NOT strategy.

Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face. Mike Tyson

Vision Strategy Plan

What is good product strategy?

Deciding what NOT to do.

Fear and discomfort are an essential part of strategy. Roger L. Martin Harvard Business Review Magazine

Keeping up with competition Wasting development resources Appeasing everyone Missing out on that critical thing What are we afraid of?

1. Simple & Clear 2. User-centered 3. Bold & Aggressive 4. Long-term 5. Imperfect & Agile Good strategies are...

What should you build?

A complex system that works is invariably found to have evolved from a simple system that worked. A complex system designed from scratch never works. John Gall General Systemantics

Simple is NOT inherently superior to complex.

The Tyranny of Small Decisions A series of small, individually rational decisions that cumulatively result in an undesirable outcome.

The House of Quality

1. Generate ideas 2. Design & build some of them 3. Never launch Level 0

1. Generate ideas 2. Design & build everything 3. Launch & see Level 1

1. Generate ideas 2. Prioritize 3. Design & build by priority 4. Launch incrementally, test & evaluate Level 2

1. Generate ideas 2. Group logically & prioritize 3. Design & build in groups by priority 4. Launch incrementally, test & evaluate Level 3

Well that didnt answer the question...

How much should you charge?

Whatever price generates the most revenue over a dened period of time.

Quantity Price

1. Collect emails 2. Set a high base price 3. Email 1/3 the base price, 1/3 a 25% discount, & 1/3 a 50% discount 4. Track conversions per cohort How to Test Price

Quantity Price

Quantity Price

Derive a demand curve from sample prices Learn your customers sensitivity to price The point...

Decoy Products Odd Pricing Price Anchoring Other Pricing Topics

Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely

In summary...

1. Product strategy is important 2. UX professionals are uniquely qualied to lead the charge 3. Think boldly & play to win Key Takeaways

All done, thanks.